Police say the thieves gained access, but were unable to remove the ATM machine.

The second incident took place around an hour later, with the vehicle being rammed into Westwood Stores in Leeward Circle, East Kilbride.

The Spar shop, The Cross, in Stonehouse.

On this occasion, the suspects managed to gain access, but again were unable to remove the ATM from the premises.

However, the culprits managed to steal the cash machine from the Hillhouse Off Sales and Grocers store on Udston Road, Hamilton, after crashing through the shop’s shutters around 3.10am.

The shop's owner, Shahid Parvez, told the Advertiser that they closed up as normal at 6pm on Sunday before receiving news of the incident.

He said he hadn't noticed any new or unfamiliar faces in the shop recently, or anyone acting suspiciously in the area.

He added: "The ATM is inside the shop, and they've just drove the car right through the front entrance.

"There isn't CCTV outside the shop but we have it inside, and the police will take any footage."

The Land Rover was later recovered in Stoneymeadow Road, Blantyre, having been set on fire. Police say it will “undergo a full forensic examination”, while officers are in the process of collecting CCTV images from around the area of each of the shops, and the routes the car may have taken.

Detective Inspector David Cockburn said: “Our enquiries carried out so far have revealed two men were in the car and both were wearing dark-coloured clothing.

“The car sustained damage to its rear and a tail light was smashed out so I’m appealing to anyone who may have seen the vehicle to contact us, perhaps you remember seeing the car damaged and the light out.

“The car is now undergoing a full examination by forensic officers and detectives will continue to carry out door-to-door enquiries as part of the ongoing investigation. If anyone has any information or knowledge about the suspects, any of the incidents, or the car then please do contact us.”